This is Going to be Fantastic!

Hola! Semana 7

no tengo el tiempo para enviar todas los fotos. Son bellos. Me encanta mi nueva area.

Elder Ruiz and Elder Brown

Now English. I'm loving all of it. My companion, Elder Ruiz, is awesome. He doesn’t speak English but he doesn’t need to! I wish I could send the pictures of all of this. It's seriously the craziest thing ever. I'm in the only area in the entire mission in which there is no hot water. The area is fantastic. I love my trainer. My Spanish is coming along very well and at the same time…not. This is going to be flat out fantastic.

I lent my scriptures to a member of my district because he forgot his somewhere else. I won't get mine back for a month... :)

I'm sitting in a legitimate shack typing this letter to you on a keyboard with more dust than keys and using a mouse that only double-clicks. Imagine that... It makes things a bit more difficult.

On the flight today, I was able to teach a psychologist some English. I also handed out a Book of Mormon and invited another to read The Family: A Proclamation to the World. I also gave them cards for mormon.org.

I can bear testimony, once again, of the fact that when you commit to share you testimony, whether it be formally or informally, God will give you an answer. Think of ways to express your testimony in natural ways. I know it may seem slightly counter-productive to try to artificially create a natural conversation, but It is a way you can treasure up in your heart the things of the Lord. Then when the time comes, you will have given you the exact words in the exact moment what ye shall say. And you will be given one to whom you may give that testimony.

A little about my knee, the one I injured last week.

Me gustaría compartirles una evidencia del poder del sacerdocio. El ultima semana, me lastemé la rodilla. recibí de Elder Scoubes una bendicion sacerdotal que me bendiciera que mi rodia no impediría mi servicio como un misionero. Hoy, aunque haya caminado mucho, no me ha lastemado la rodilla.

My New Street

I would like to to share with you an evidence of the power of the priesthood. Last week, as you saw, I hurt my knee. I sprained it and may have done worse. Elder Scoubes blessed me that even though I hurt it, it would not impede my service as a missionary. Today, I have done substantial walking, and my knee hasn't hurt me all day.

The priesthood is real. It works through us and changes us as we turn outward and give it somewhere to go. :) It works in us as we let its power flow through us to the blessing of everyone we can.

First Home in the Field

What more? Um, I listened to a talk by Elder Bednar called The Character of Christ. It was the reminder I needed of how I was who I was. Before my mission, I took every opportunity given me, and even those not, to turn outward and serve others. The CCM seemed built to serve self, to build self. However, at the end of his talk, Elder Bednar said somethings along the lines of: “With the apostolic keys given me, I promise you that according to your desire and diligence to develop the Character of Christ (which turns outward in service, always), you will be blessed with every other blessing or gift that you need. So forget about yourself when you go to the MTC, wherever you go. The MTC isn't about you. School isn't about you. It's about your classmates. You future family, your God. Buckle down and lose yourself in the growth of His divine work, and I promise you will be happy, in the measure you make every decision one of service.” :) 

Love you to the moon and back,

Elder Brown

—This gun dun been fun :)