Elder Brown update

Well, here is Transfer information. I am staying in Hillsboro and my new companion will be Elder Clinger. I don't know anything about him yet, will let you know next week. Elder Roberts is being transferred to Hurst 3rd somewhere around Fort Worth. He is going back to his Greene area. He is super excited he tells me. He will be going back to being in a all Spanish area, not in a English/Spanish. I am excited for the upcoming transfers as well. I am hoping that Elder Clinger and I will get along okay.  
Well, we are supposedly getting some VERY COLD weather here tomorrow. It is going to be freezing rain, hail, and snow. It is going to be fun.
Well, now a update on missionary work in Hillsboro. Well, we dropped the Ables family as investigators. They both are not progressing and Stan even told us if we come back he would throw us out very fast. Sis Ables though is still okay with the company from the missionaries, but we would only be able to visit with her outside of the home. Sis Ables said that she is going to go with him to the Baptist church. Oh well, we tried right?Our other investigator Dionisio, well, lets just say we went to visit him one night, and he was stone cold drunk and his supposed lady friend was just over to help him. Right... Now we have 2 problems with him, Law of Chastity and Word of Wisdom problems. Ugh... Well, for now we will just be dropping him until he wants to change his life.Ricardo is still having some Coffee problems, but other than that, he told us he really wants to be baptized, he just can't give up Coffee. That will be a big struggle for him.
Well, I do believe that is all for this week.  Love ya lots,

-Elder Brown

Erika asking to sweetheart dance

Erika and four of her friends decided tonight to ask to the sweethearts dance, which is on Sat, Feb 12.  They went to the store to try and figure out something to do.  Erika and her friend, Peggy, decided to get red cups and post it notes.  Peggy put post it notes all over her dates front door with little valentine sayings on them.  Erika put the red cups in a heart shape on Zach's front door step and wrote letters of the alphabet in the bottom of them and her name was in different colored marker.  She put a note in the middle that said, "My heart would fill up if you would go to the sweetheart dance with me."  They did it at around 11:00 pm, because they didn't want to get caught.  Of course, it was dark, and I wasn't there to get a picture, but it sounded really creative and cute.  Now she waits for the answer!!

Riley Honor Roll for Term 2

Elder Brown update

Well, a lot has happened this past week in the way of missionary work. First of all, the Ables family got Anti-Mormon papers sent to their home by a aunt of theirs who absolutely hates the Mormon church, she says. They brought that all up to us and we basically told them that all the stuff in there was mostly false and made up and made to seem like we are bad people. We answered all their questions and told them to just throw it out and read the Book of Mormon. Sis Ables said she would, but Bro Ables (the non-member) still isn't so sure about it all. I think he wants to stay Baptist. By the way, Sis Ables texted us this past week and told us that Bro Ables decided he wanted to be Baptized in the Baptist church. Well...it happened yesterday and Sis Ables got baptized too. We got there and we were like, wow! Anyways, I think all is still going okay at their house. They still invited us back, which means they haven't closed the door on us yet. We are still trying to work with them and get them to stop believing in the Anti-Mormon papers and start actually going to the source, the Book of Mormon and God. I hope they will choose to read and pray, it really is the only way to know if the gospel is true.  Thanks for taking up the challenge to create a mormon.org profile. It really will help to have a lot more people on there for others to see. I know I look at people profiles on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 11-12 every week now. It is so cool to get to use mormon.org and help members create profiles and stuff. I like it.  Yes, this Saturday is the Transfer calls. I will let you know what happens next Monday. Elder Roberts has been in Hillsboro for 1 more transfer than me. That is 1 1/2 months.  I am glad that everything is going well at home and I am glad that y'all are having fun and doing lots of dancing. That is way cool!  Anyways, that is all I have for this week!
Till next week,

-Elder Brown

2nd Bountiful Basket

 This is what we got the 2nd time we bought the Bountiful Basket.  Lots of Lemons, Bananas and Pears and some weird purple colored lettuce, but it tasted like lettuce.  We get so excited to see what we are going to get each time.  Erika tried Grapefruit for the 1st time.  She loved it and wants more.

Scholarship from Weber State for Erika

Elder Brown update

Well, first of all, it has been cold the past few days with no sunshine. Elder Roberts and I haven't been out tracting as much because it is just pointless. No one opens the door when it is cold and wet. So we try to visit people and teach them. Oh by the way, some AWESOME NEWS! Guess what?!? Our mission president has told us to go to the Library other than P-Day and get on the computers and use mormon.org and learn it so we can teach members how to use it. The Prophet has told all the missionaries to get the members to make a profile on mormon.org. So, I have a challenge for all of you back home. Please get on Mormon.org and fill out a profile about your faith and your background and whatnot. When you create it, I will be able to use it to let people here see it. It is a great missionary tool. It is so cool to be able to play around mormon.org during the least productive times of the day. Elder Roberts and I have decided that Tuesday and Friday mornings from 11-12 are the worst times of the day to be doing stuff, so we go to the Library and use mormon.org. Cool Huh? So please, everyone back home, make a profile. That is my challenge to you!
Well, in other news, the Ables have fallen apart. Bro Ables is investigating and he has decided that he still isn't sure about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and he really wants to start going to the Baptist church. Sis Ables however, doesn't want to, so they are a very divided right now. We as the missionaries haven't done anything but teach them, and now he is just feeling too much pressure to join the church from his wife, and I think he thinks us as well, but we haven't pressured him to do anything. Just to read and pray. Oh well, we are going back this week. Hopefully everything turns out okay. Bro Ables is a really nice guy, just having a hard time accepting that we are the "Only True Church" on the earth. We will continue to work with them. Also, our other investigator, Ricardo, we found out last night that he has been smoking, and he never told us, so now we have more stuff to do to get him ready for baptism. Ugh... Oh well, in God's own time, he will get baptized. Next transfer day is February 2nd. We will get our transfer calls the Saturday before. That is in 2 weeks, I think. I can't remember.
Anyways, hope the learning the Cha Cha is going great and I will talk to you next week!  Thanks for all your support and Thanks for everything!

-Elder Brown

Mexico shells

This is Erika's shell collection that she washed today.  She found 3 hermit crabs in their shells, but they were dead and did the bags she had them in smell, YES!!!  We are planning to make some picture frames with them when we get together on the 1st Sunday of the month, with the picture of all 18 of us that went to Mexico.  Riley has double this amount of shells.  He was very busy on the beach.

Scholarship from Snow College for Erika

Another Doll Cake

I had planned to make a doll cake for a student's mother, but Erika came home and said that her friends wanted to make a cake for their friend's birthday.  I told her since I had the cake already baked, that they could use it.  Of course, Erika and her friends all agreed, but I had to decorate it still.  I admit, I enjoy doing them, but they do take alot of time and work, but the end result is the best.  When they took the cake to their friend, she was so excited and said that she had never had a doll cake before.  That is why I like to do them.  So this time was a green one, which I don't think I have done before, but the design is still the same as always.  I need to learn some new designs for future cakes, but until then, this one is the latest creation.

Erika's internship at Westridge

Erika has been interning for school credit at Westridge Elementary.  She has been in the 1st grade class with Mrs. Spadafora. The 1st grade students love her and she loves them.  Thursday, Jan 13th is her last day to intern at Westridge.  She took them all some treats and I took pictures of all of them for her.  The teacher loves Erika and wrote her a really nice letter of recommendation.  You can tell by the pictures that Erika is happy and all the students.

Erika accepted to Snow College

Elder Brown update

Well, first off, we got SNOW yesterday during Church. Crazy huh? I was so surprised to see it, but excited as well. I haven't seen snow in 11 months! WOW! I didn't get any pictures because it just melted right away, couldn't get a picture fast enough. Oh well... it is very cold now though. I like it, I would much rather have it cold, than 110 any day. The hot is not fun, especially in church clothes all the time. Yes I did get your package. I was so surprised to see the flamin' hot stuff, but I have eaten it all gone, except a couple left. That was the so nice to get some flamin' hot food. My mouth...IT BURNS! Just kidding. He he Anyways, to answer your questions about who does the baptizing, the investigator gets to choose who baptizes them. Usually they chose my companion. Apparently my priesthood isn't good enough for them. Just kidding. Yeah, it's their choice. They can also choose anyone from the ward/branch to do it as well, but most of the time they usually pick the missionary they have known the longest. I am so happy to hear that Grandma Bette is doing okay. That is some great news! Also, thank Grandma Bette and Aunt Christi for the presents in advance for me. Well, what is going on in missionary work in the Hillsboro area? Well...we have a investigator named Stan Ables. His wife is a Less-active member who really wants to come back to church. He is investigating and has lots of questions about Joesph Smith and the validity of the Book of Mormon vs the Bible. He asks a lot of questions because he really wants us to I guess in a sense "Prove" it to him. We try to answer his questions, but really we told him it comes down to his personal involvement in reading and praying about Joesph Smith and the Book of Mormon. He is really wanting to know now because he is facing a lot of life changing choices in the coming weeks. We want to commit him to be baptized here this upcoming week. Hopefully he will accept. We also have a couple of 8 year old kids who's Grandma is a member, but the parents are not. They have been coming to church since they were born and they both want to be baptized. The parents have agreed to let them be baptized on the condition that they take all the missionary lessons and explain to them why they want to be baptized. I hope all goes well with these two 8 year old kids. They really do want to be baptized. Well, there are a couple of other investigators we have, but they are not progressing. We are working with them. Well, I am excited for everything. I cannot believe that Nathan comes home the 22nd of February. That is crazy. I want to write another letter to him before he goes home. Well, thanks for everything and keep praying for me. I hope I can make it through another summer. It is going to be the hardest thing for me to do. I just know it. Also, this week we have interviews with President Sagers on Friday starting at 2 pm. Just to let you know. I am also attaching the Band of Brothers again. Enjoy! Thanks for everything you do.

-Elder Brown

P.S. It really is cold, tell Grandma Holly and Gary to not expect nice weather. It is cold and snowy today too here in Hillsboro.

Bountiful Basket - Yummy!!!

Today, I started this new thing called Bountiful Basket.  It is where they cut out the middle man, so it comes straight from the Farmer to you.  I was a little bit unsure at first, but when I went and picked it up, I was so happy.  When I brought it home, the family was surprised also.  What alot of fruit and veggies for $15.  When I first got to the spot to pick it up, there was a line, about 100 people or so.  It was crazy.  I thought to myself, what have I been missing out on.  Now I know!! 

Elder Brown update

Hello from Elder Brown in Hillsboro Texas! Well, first of let me start by saying... We had a BAPTISM! His name is Michael Griffin. I am sending some pictures home as well as the Band of Brothers. It has some good information inside of it.  So the story behind Michael. Sister Shelton brought him to church one Sunday and we grabbed him and starting teaching him pretty quick. He progressed very quickly and wanted to get baptized. We challenged him for the 2nd of January, but because Sister Shelton was headed back to Idaho to BYU for school on the 1st of January, we moved it to the 31st of December. It was a awesome experience! Thanks for sending me the gifts for new years as well. I didn't use them because when 10:40 hit, I was out. I don't even remember midnight. Oh well...next year. Thanks for getting back to me on grandma's money that she sent me. Also, I am so happy y'all liked the stuff I sent you for Christmas. I hope y'all had a good time in Mexico. It sounds like a blast. I'm sure the weather was nice. Then back to Utah, the cold. Ugh...I will send the Christmas stuff home. Well, as for me, I am doing okay. Things could be better, but of course, missionary work is hard and I am trying my best everyday to make the best of it. I hope I can make it through the Summer. It is hot down here. Well, in other news ( missionary work ), we have a few other investigators that are doing well. We are working with a part-member family named the Ables. They have been sick with the flu, so we haven't gone over in a while. We will try next week. All our other investigators were out of town. There really wasn't much to do this past week in missionary work with the holidays and stuff. Oh well, people will be back this week from the holidays, so hopefully things will pick up. I cannot believe that this year I will be coming home. That is crazy to think about. I also cannot believe that Nathan comes home in a month and a half. Crazy!! Oh, and I am sad to hear about the accident with the car, they are just things, but that's okay, at least you got it all solved. Yes I can use the Wendy's and Subway cards, we just haven't gone out to eat yet. We are planning on it this upcoming week. Well, I have sent home lots of files. Hopefully you will enjoy them! Love ya lots!

-Elder Brown

A day on the beach in Mexico

To Rocky Point, Mexico

 

We all slept in and Bridget made us all breakfast.  Since Bridget had Kyle still sick and Julie woke up with a migraine, Tamra and I went to Costco to buy food for our week down in Mexico.  We decided to have breakfast and lunch in our condo's for the week.  We bought alot of food and we both were surprised that it was only $230 dollars.  When we came back from Costco, we loaded up all the food and head out around noon.  We had to give Chad's car a call name, so they were the Black Ninja.  We caravaned down to Rocky Point, stopping half way to buy Mexican Insurance.  Most US auto insurance companies don't cover Mexico, so we bought 4 days worth for $40 a day.  We had to cross the border around 4 pm, which we were stopped and asked where we were going and where we were coming from.  We told them we were with the other two cars in front of us, but we said we were from Utah and they said from Arizona, so they were a little bit confused, but they still let us cross.  They also asked us if we had anything to claim, like 10,000 cash or something.  Yeah, right, a family in a mini van wanting to cross the border with 10,000 dollars. I don't think so. We arrived in Mexico at 6 pm and unloaded all the suitcases. Scott even found a dead cockrock that was over 2 inches big.  Tamra was freaked out about it, so Scott had to pick it up and then we tried to eat it for the camera.  Tamra, Scott, Colton, Brian, Sharri, Erika, Cortney & Erika were in one condo and Chad, Bridget, Ashton, Kyle, Julie, Hailey, Austin and Connor in the other condo.  The Condo's were called the Princesa at Rocky Point.  Our condo was on the bottom floor, so we were able to walk right out onto the beach, which was great for the kids.  The kids wanted to try the swimming pools first thing, but they were a little chili and it was dark and windy.  After we all were situated, Chad went into town and bought chicken taco makings for all of us.  It was so good and everyone was so hungry too.  And then we played some games until 11 pm or so.