ELDER BROWN'S RETURN!!!

 First hug to mom as he walks down the stairs towards us.

 Second hug to sister Erika

Third hug, brother Riley, which has changed the most.

 Then Dad for the last hug and a job well done.

 Mom and Elder Brown together.

Dad, Elder Brown and Mom

 At the Back door when we came home

 On the front window of the house

And the Yard Art on our lawn.  Elder Brown was so happy to see this!!

Posters for Elder Brown

Riley PHS Men's Choir Concert

 Riley after the PHS Fall Concert

 Riley in his full uniform for the Men's Choir

Riley with the neighbor, Sara M.  She is in the Women's Choir, opposite Riley.  They look so good together.

Elder Brown departing from TFW

Elder Brown's departing missionaries from the Texas Fort Worth Mission.  19 missionaries went out and 16 are departing back home, 11 to Salt Lake City and 5 to other states.  This picture was taken the night before, when they had a big dinner and a testimony meeting with President & Sister Sagers.

Riley's Duct Tape Paper

The Occasional Paper

By: Riley Brown, Per. 8, Term 1

            I first started when I was 10. I only used Tape and Paper and other random articles I could find. I liked to build stuff. Totally random stuff, usually related to what my mood was at the time I build it. Then I decided that normal tape wasn’t good enough. So from then on was when I started building things out of duct-tape.

            My first creations were marble slides. Using any color and paper, I build slides. At least over 15 were built in this period. I loved using duct-tape but the only hard part was getting it off your fingers.

            Then was the stage of all out duct-tape creations. From swords made out of duct-tape and popsicle sticks. To Super thick nothing but duct-tape swords that were rock hard. Some other things were Duct-tape Spheres. We even invented a game using them, called swipe-out.

            Some of the big accomplishments were duct-tape boats including dozens of small ones and a real one that two of us could actually be in. Another is my Duct-tape business that I did while in my seventh grade year. I earned a lot of money that year, however a lot went into sodas from Mr. Wardle. During that business I sold tons of items including bracelets and bags. In fact someone in this class has one I made for him.

Some of my bigger achievements are Halloween costumes. I’m making one this year and it is awesome and actually very decorative. One of those is my already mentioned duct tape boat that could fit two people in it. I have had a lot of accomplishments and achievements and as I progress through life I’m sure that there are more to come.

A big goal I have is the duct-tape prom scholarship. And I really want to win that. I own a giant duct-tape box filled with it and including other tools.

In the end there is one answer to this paper and it’s the fact that I love duct-tape.

Elder Brown's last email

Well, all I can say is I am so ready to be home. I am so excited to be able to see all of you and to visit with you. I know this past 2 years has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but it has been the most rewarding experience I have ever done. Yesterday at Sacrament I did give me talk. They asked me to talk about Obedience. Bro. Bentley, our Ward Mission Leader asked me to also talk about my mission as well. After I was done, all the members congratulated me on completing a mission and wished me the best in the future. Many members have asked that I keep in contact with them. I will do my best.

Just a few things you may want to think about. I will explain those in a round-about way, but I hope I can get the point across. In my exit interview with President Sagers, he told me many things and we had some good discussions on what he would like me to do. He told me that we NEVER vacation from the gospel. If we vacation for even 1 day, Satan will work on us twice as hard. He looked at me and told me to tell him straight in the eyes that I would NEVER EVER go less-active. I looked him back straight in the eyes and told him that I would NEVER EVER go less-active. He then told me that he has a facebook account that he is required to make and he told me that his facebook account is for only returned missionaries. He told me to friend him. I told him I would.

Also he told me that when I get home, until I am released I have to wear missonary clothes and act like a missionary. So that means I cannot watch TV, use the computer, listen to the radio, and I have to have a companion until I am released. So, if there is any way to get me released sooner than 8:30, that would be great, but if not I can wait. I will just have to figure out things to do until I am released, although I am sure that y'all have things planned to do.

I would love to bring home souvenirs, but I just don't think I will have the time to go and buy some. I am hoping that I can come back to the mission before the end of this year, but if it happens it happens, if it doesn't, oh well... I am sure I will be here in Texas to see Milan and Sarah at some point.

I am so excited to see the snow! YAY! I hope y'all are ready for the snow. By the way, I do say y'all a lot, so be ready for me to say that.

Well, have fun without me for the last 2 days I am not there.  Take Care until Thursday!

-Elder Brown

Riley's Triangle pictures

Riley had to take 7 pictures for his Geometry class with different kinds of triangles.  Some of them were easy, but some were a little bit more difficult, but we managed to find them.  So here is the collection of all the different Triangles.

(Equilateral, Isosceles Acute, Isosceles Obtuse, Isosceles Right, Scalene Acute, Scalene Obtuse and Scalene Right Triangles)

BYU Homecoming Spectacular

We were given tickets to go and see the BYU Homecoming Spectacular at the Marriott Center.  We went with the McGriff's out to dinner and then to the show.  I have gone before in the past, but it has been a long time, so I was excited to be able to go again.  The spectaculars are always full of music and performances from some of the dance groups.  It was a great performances by Brian Stokes Mitchell.  He has a "frank sinatra" voice, so the music was incredible.  Thanks to the Cox family for the 4 tickets for us to have an enjoyable evening.

Elder Brown update

Well, I guess I only have about 9 days left. Isn't that crazy? I cannot believe that I will be seeing y'all in a few days. I am so excited and happy to be able to see you. I have missed being around you. I look forward to the Salt Lake City International Airport where I can see all of you again.

 

Well, a little update on what is happening around here. It is warming up again! NOOO! It is supposed to get into the upper 80's, which sucks, but I will be coming home to cold Utah soon. Elder Reaveley and I have been teaching some new investigators. We have a new investigator which was a referral from the Lake Cities 1st Ward Elders. He is a little A.D.D., but he has a friend which was just baptized in their Ward and he lives in our Ward. He really wants to come to church and get familiar with it. Hopefully he will agree to being baptized so I can leave this area with a baptism. His name is John. We also found a new lady named Danielle. She is extremely interested in the Book of Mormon because she told us that she has always grown up being told that the book was from the devil. We explained to her what it is and what is would do in her life if she would read it and pray about it. She was very interested after our little conversation and now she is currently reading it. It should be a good lady to teach. We have had some good new people coming out of the woodwork. Some of those 14 new investigators we found last week we have had to drop due to lack of answering the door or not being home or being told that they were no longer interested. Oh well, you press forward.

 

I would like to answer some of your questions/tell you some things before I come home, so here I go.

 

Yes I did receive the package you sent me with the Corn Nuts. I was very happy you sent it to me. At first I thought that was for Elder Reaveley since he had a huge envelope in his hands, then he gave it to me. I was like "I don't remember asking for something." Then I opened it and was like "Oh, I love my family. They are so good to me." So, yes thank you so much.

 

As for the e-mail next week, I will not guarantee it. I will do my best to send you one, if not, just remember I was talking with President Sagers. Just go ahead and send me a e-mail next week even though I may not be able to respond to it, just in case I can e-mail. That would be great! If I don't get to e-mail next week, I will see you in 9 days!

 

With General Conference all I have to say is that it was amazing! I could not but think about everything they talked about. Elder Reaveley and I talked about it for hours on Sunday. I personally noticed quite a few things and I took some notes on each speaker. I just loved it. I now realize how important it is to listen to the chosen prophets and apostles. They are truly inspired men to help keep us on the right path. I want to listen to them over and over again. I just love it.

 

Well, I think that is all. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again and yes, the snow too!

 

Until next week, or until October 13th,

 

-Elder Brown

 

P.S. I hope you heal quickly from the surgery Mom. I have been praying for your quick recovery every night in my prayers.

Elder Brown update

Well, guess what? I only have 16 days left until I can come home. I am very excited to see y'all and to give you a big hug. I am doing my best to work until the end. This past week we found 14 new investigators. It was so cool! We are working hard and teaching. We taught 18 lessons this past week to investigators. We are finding and teaching and that was my goal to do before the end of my mission even if I don't baptize, I still know that I left the area in a good condition before I finished.
I am so excited as well for General Conference. I will be watching all session of it at the Stake Center. I will be taking notes and I know that I will be spiritually fed. I hope that you will too.
Yes, I did receive the last treat package and I ate all the Corn Nuts. I love them. I know that I only have 16 days left, so y'all don't have to send me any more letters and things if you want, because I will be seeing y'all very soon. I have a lot to catch up on with you, and I am very excited to see you. By the way, just keep sending the e-mails. I will get them eventually. I got the last one at 2 in the afternoon. Oh well...the e-mail service is kind of slow.
Well, I do believe that is everything. There is a seventy coming to tour the mission right after I come home. How lame is that? I missed all the general authorities. UGH!
Anyways, I love y'all and I look forward to next weeks e-mail.

-Elder Brown

P.S. I may have my exit interview on my last p-day of the mission field, so I may or may not e-mail home that day. Please keep that in mind. That day is the 10th of October. Thanks.

Card from Surgery

I received this card in the mail a couple days later after my gall bladder surgery.  The out patient center was amazing and took really good care of me before, during and after.  I had 5 different nurses that helped that day, so I felted really loved by them and the doctor.

Sharri Gallbladder Surgery

Since not feeling well for the last 6 months, I finally decided that I had enough and that it was possibly my gallbladder that was causing me so much trouble and sickness.
I had outpatient surgery, which was very nice, and the anthesiaologies, made sure that I didn't get sick after surgery, which she did, and it made my recovery so much easier and faster.

By the looks of the pictures that the doctor took, I think that my gallbladder was not working at all.  Black and one very large stone.

Elder Brown update

Well, as you probably can guess, I only have 3 weeks left. I am so excited to be coming home. I hope that we can all have a good time together when I get home. I am really hoping that we can go shopping and get me some new clothes and just have some fun.

Also, I heard that the USPS is slowing down mail because they cannot afford to send it that fast anymore. So it may take longer to get mail, which kind of stinks. Oh well...what do you do?
I told the ward that I was going home in 3 weeks and our Ward Mission Leader said "well, lets you get signed up to speak then." The first thought was "NO!" I just let it go to see what happens, and guess what? I am speaking in this ward on the 9th. Oops, that was my fault for telling them. I have to speak on Obedience in Missionary work. It should be a good topic. I will also study up on that topic that you gave me and speak to the best that I can. I probably won't recognize a lot of faces in the ward, because I bet that it has changed a lot since I left 2 years ago. I am so excited to see everyone!
I have a few things I want to let you know about missionary work this past week. Our investigator Roberta Smith, had to go to hospital and now she is out. She is recovering slowly. We will stop-by, but she said she really wants to come to church when she gets feeling better. We are also working with a new family named the Johnson's. They are the great grandchildren of Fanny White. They are not baptized, so we are hoping to get them baptized. It will be fun. We are also working with a family named the Heath's. Shane is not a member and he is sort of interested, but we are unsure whether or not he wants to take the lessons. Sis. Heath is a member, but inactive. Her mom is a member as well, but inactive. We are working with all of them. It is exciting stuff.
Take Care, until next week!
-Elder Brown

Erika's door surprise!!

We received a knock at our door tonight and this is what we found.  They were from some of Erika's high school track friends - Trevor & Colin and David.  Apparently, Erika and some of the girls did this to them a while back, so all the girls received these at theirs doors tonight.  Fun to have such great friends!!!

Sharri school pictures

Independence High School 2011-2012 School Year (45 pounds less)



Elder Brown update

Hello again from me in Denton Texas. Well, today is supposed to get into the lower 100's, which is not exciting at all to me. I do not look forward to any day over 90, but today and tomorrow is supposed to be over 100 again. I don't like it at all, but I am going to work through it. I hope that it starts cooling down for real this week. If we have today and tomorrow over 100, it will set a new record in Texas which is the most days in 1 calendar year over 100. That is not something I would like to say that I did, but I really did, if it happens. That would be crazy to say that.
In missionary work, we have found some former investigators and some old investigators that moved back into our boundaries again. Things are looking good, but as for a baptism, that is probably unlikely at this point due to the fact that there are no investigators we have that are ready for baptism. They haven't even come to church yet. Oh, well, we will keep working with them. Roberta Smith, one of our investigators went to the hospital this past week because she had to have a stint put in her heart to stop blockages, at least that was what I remember it was for. I can't remember a lot of things. Anyways, I hope that she recovers quickly. She told us that after the surgery, she will come to church. We shall see what happens. Hopefully she will be committed after this.
I am sorry to hear about Mom's gall bladder. Hopefully you can resolve it soon and get back to normal as quickly as possible. I will keep mom in my prayers. I also put every ones names in the Dallas Temple when I was there cause I wanted to put names in, so I put all our investigators names and also y'all and some others, so you have some prayers from Texas to you. :)
Yes, I am very excited to be coming home as well! I have to write my final letter to president in the next 2 weeks and mail in to President Sagers so they can include it in their book to remember us. He asked me to write about specific things, so I am going to write up a rough draft then put it on the nice paper he mailed to us. It should be fun to write it, especially since I have so much to write and only 1 piece of paper to do it.
Yeah, I definitely am glad I served a mission, but I will tell you, it was the hardest 2 years of my life. You really have to be dedicated to do it.
I will be more than happy to help out around the house when I get back. I will have lots of time to do things until school starts, so put me to work when I come home. I want to help out as much as possible. I may go to one of the games, if I feel up to it. I hear that BYU is playing UTAH this week. I hope they win! I heard they lost the game in Texas. Oh well, they only lost by 1 point. I hear this from members all the time. They talk about it.  Take care, as always, I still would appreciate any letters, but I realize that there are only a few weeks left.
-Elder Brown

Erika's 19th Birthday

Erika had a great birthday weekend.  She went with her friend, Levi, to dinner and a movie, and Sunday we had a birthday open house for all her friends to come and have cake and ice cream.  It was alot of fun.  I bought a costco cake and and she loved it.  We also will be celebrating with her Grandma Bette on Monday at Olive Garden.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIKA!!! 

Elder Brown Travel Plans

 

Elder Brown update

Sorry, I forgot that yesterday was a holiday and so I didn't get to e-mail yesterday, but I am doing it today instead. It has been a crazy week this last transfer. I have A LOT to tell you and some pictures to send you. So, first off, let me start with a story. I have been keeping in contact with the Bishop of the Lake Cities 2nd Ward cause that is where Michaelynn was baptized when I was there a year and a half ago and I talked with Michaelynn a lot and kept asking her when she was going. Well, last Sunday I found out that she was going to the Temple the following Saturday which was September 3rd. I immediately got excited and that night called President Sagers and asked him if I could go. He said I could as long as I got a ride from a member. I talked with the Bishop of the Lake Cities 2nd Ward and he told me that he would take Elder Reaveley and I and we would all go. I was very excited. We all went and it was so cool! After the session, I was sitting in the Celestial room and I went to shake her hand and congratulate her and she looked at me and said "Thank you so much, if it weren't for you 5 Elders, I wouldn't be here today." She cried to much cause of how happy she was to have found the true church of Jesus Christ. She asked if I would give her a hug and I did, because I felt it was appropriate. Then afterwards we went outside and took pictures. It was so cool! I loved to think about it later. Those words that she told me in the Celestial room "If it weren't for you 5 Elders, I wouldn't be here today." It was so cool to think that I was part of her conversion process. I was so happy for her.
Well, our new apartment is right behind the Lake Cities 1st Ward Elders and it is kind of fun to be right next to them. They enjoy us being there. It is really weird, because we live outside of our area. Our mission president told me that we were only allowed to be outside of our area if we were going to our apartment and back. It should be a fun transfer. I am so excited to come home in 37 days. AHHHHH! Crazy!!!!!
Well, I don't have too much else that happened, other than we had a cool front come through yesterday and it cooled it down to the 80's which was AMAZING! It felt cold to me to be in the 80's again because we have been in the 100's to 110's. It was so HOT!
In missionary work, things have not been going well. Our investigators keep cancelling on their appointments and it just is getting frustrating. I think the lord is testing us. It should be a fun last transfer.
My exit interview, I have no idea yet. President has been pushing things farther and farther back because he wants us to be out and working until the end. I am doing my best, but sometimes it just gets hard. I could ask about Milan and his family, but I am not sure. I guess you could have them meet me at the airport before I go, I will probably be at the Airport quite a bit early because they will want to make sure that I get on my flight home. I will find out though. I will ask and see what happens.
With the food, I miss Brick Oven, Cafe Rio, stir fry, and just being home. I think that is about all the food I miss. All the rest of the places you named are here already in Texas and the members take us out there pretty frequently. I do really miss Cafe Rio the most. I think that is what I really want the most since there is none out here. Although, when I bring y'all back, I am definitely going to have to take you to some good Barbecue and also some Chicken Express. I don't know if y'all know what Chicken Express is, but you will have to try it.  Well, I think that is all for this week!  Take care, and talk to you next week.

-Elder Brown

Riley and his new creation

 At the Teacher and Priest Scout Camp, Riley saw a hamock spider web made out of twine, so he decided he was going to make one when he came home.  He was bugging us to get a bunch of twine so he could build it.  As you can see, he is very creative and put the lines of twine between the slide, swing and tree in the backyard.  He was able to get one it and sit as you can see in the picture.  It is in the air about 6 feet above the ground.  He made steps with tree sticks to get on it.  I don't know what he will think of next, other than he fell off and now it is just sitting out  in the yard.  Stay tuned for the next creation!!!