Transfers Keep Me Where I Have Been

HHHEEEYYYY! Elder Brown Here!! (Still)

Elder Hilario and Elder Brown

Still in Bugambilias. Elder Hilario left to be companion to Elder Valdetano (remember him? from Bahia and Alisos) in San Luis. I'm super excited for them. They'll have a TON of success. The funny thing is that Elder Worman (my present companion) just came from being Elder Valdetano's companion. We just had a companion swap. :)

Bugambilias keeps getting better and better. I'm suuuuper excited to see how things go.

Last week we had a baptism, well, more like forty, because the 8-year-old kid (A*) just couldn't get all the way under!!! That was quite the adventure! :) Seriously though, he was baptized more than 20 times. his older brother, C*, also got baptized. their mom is M*, a less-active member. she started coming to church more consistently, and we baptized the kids. The hard thing with her is that her husband doesn't want much to do with us.. . .

Who knows how, but even though he doesn't like us that much he decided to go to a stake dance. It was rather exciting hearing that. :)

Elder Brown and Elder Cronin (both trained by Elder Ruiz)

I'm here in Bugambilias working hard. :)

Your Ticket to Heaven

Lst week we had a baptism. her name was C*. It was realy cool. She had already come to church the week before I got here and since the beginning wanted to get baptized. after we gave her the pre-interview, we asked her, "C*, you now know EVERYTHING you need to know to be baptized, to be a member, and to enter the Kingdom of God. When do you want to get baptized?" How great is that?! every baptized member officially knows EVERYTHING they need to to get into heaven!! Every baptized member HAS THE TICKET to heaven. not just that, but every baptized member has permission to bring heaven down here, has the RIGHT! to experience it.

Thanks to Elder Hilario (he baptized her) C* now has permission, has the RIGHT to heaven. this is the priesthood's power.

Work Hard No Matter What

work, work, work. :) it's funny. one day you're working and working and people tell you you're doing it wrong. You just can't be doing it right, because 1) you didn't give them what they wanted when they wanted and 2) you're doing it DIFFERENT. you keep working. You don't change anything. The next day you see a bit of success. What happens? the SAME PEOPLE use the SAME CIRCUMSTANCES to tell you that you're doing it really well and that you're great. :) the IRONY. (maybe that's not the most uplifting perspective. maybe it seems cynical. Oh well.)

People have expectations for you. You won't fulfill them. You might exceed them. You might not. If you're a follower, do something you can be confident in, and be confident in it. If you're a leader, understand that the plants that grow fastest are called weeds and quickly become a nuiscance... and neither of you get caught up in the details. good week.

We had a Ward activity last week that I helped organize. Here’s what we did.

Opening Exercises
5-min class on prophets

game 1: TELEPHONE
compare the game to the confusion that there would be if we only went by the words of a prophet thousands of years ago. No wonder there are so many churches.. .  .

game 2: BLIND-FOLDED COURSE
have person 1 guide person 2 (who is blindfolded) through an obstacle course or something of the sort. compare person 1 to the prophet, and person 2 to, well, us.

game 3: PUZZLE

Puzzle used at Ward Activity

explanation: when christ was here, he established his church (efesians 2 20). the world rejected him and his doctrine. It fell and lost its form. nobody could fit all the pieces together.

game: give each person a part of the puzzle that my mom made, enos, captain moroni, alma, or any other. tell them that the first one to finish their puzzle wins.

explanation: each person will become competitive, eliminating the idea of a whole. they might start taking pieces from other puzzles, but will never be able to finish the puzzle.

After the people realize they can’t finish their puzzle, pull out the Book of Mormon portion of the puzzle and allow them to finish the puzzle.

explanation: the Book of Mormon is the key that pulls all other topics or ideas into one whole. it gives pattern and sense to the rest of the picture.

Mexicali Week 3

umm.. . .
last week we contacted someone called a* j* in the street. he told us that he was looking for a church to join because he wanted to change his life. we visited him and he was pedal-to-the-metal. His mom, M*, told us that she was catholic but was going to listen for courtesy. his older brother, martin, has severe problems with his legs and has had them almost since he was born. he never went to school or did almost anything. he told us he didn't like the whole church thing. his mom made him take off his earbuds and listen anyway. we taught a little bit about the gospel of Jesus Christ, about how we can change and progress in life through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end (AKA repeat). each one of them ended fascinated with the message. you could almost see them drooling. ;) The Spirit really can touch and soften any heart if we let it.

next, i shared a little thought on the atonement the other day. someone asked me to write it down and give it to them, so i like to think it was something special:

We all remember being a kid, whether we like it or not. and when I mention it, we'll all remember this experience:

You were sitting down at the table after have bravely stomached you serving of green beans, peas, or whatever other nasty vegetable you had to eat. you see your mom go to the freezer and pull out a box of ice cream and realize that those green beans (or whatever vegetable it was) was worth it. your joy and victory is utterly crushed by the fact that your mom gave 1/12 a scoop of ice cream more to your sister.

"that's not fair" you whine to your mom, "Why does she get more than me?!"

I've done the same thing MANY times in MANY things. be it wages, tv time, recognition, or even vacations. One day I heard the thought, "No, it's NOT fair. But you don't want fair." I realized that I did nothing for my Mom to deserve the gift of the body given me through birth. What did I do to pay her back? begged for attention, food, water, sleep, and whatever I wanted at the time. I did nothing to deserve the education and love they offered me. Fair is that for every hamburger I ate I gave one back. Then I remembered a verse somewhere in the bible that says that the wage of sin is death. Thus, supposing that I miraculously survived until the age of eight, I was already toast the first time I told my brother he was stupid... Oops!! or even thought of insulting him.. . . No. I really dont want the fair thing, I promise. I don't want Justice.

The wonderful thing is that I dont have to have it! :) There's another law, the law of Mercy. In the Law of Justice, my weaknesses threaten the destruction of EVERYTHING I hold dear. in Mercy, my weakness is what MAKES them dear. Mercy is what gave my mom an INFINITE love for a baby that lived off her for nine months and then proved to be life-threatening coming out, instead of resentment.

Mercy provides a process of growth. justice requires instant satisfaction in all expectations. The beauty of mercy is that every law of justice has its reflection in mercy, allowing us to learn and experience in trial mode the ropes of an eternal life.

How is this possible? I think this is where the atonement fits in. I think of the Atonement like a pregnancy. Maybe you've already heard it, maybe not. Why? there are more parallels, but mostly:

Christ suffered intense pain to place us under his care and protection. The atonement was the BEGINNING of his care, not the end. read alma 7 11-13 carefully. to what end is all this succoring? it is that we come to be like Him.

The Red House

Elder Evans and Elder Brown just before Transfers

Its really weird here in bugambilias... in san felipe I basically ran the show. here, the show's suppossed to run me. don't quite know how to do that yet…

What do you mean the show is supposed to run you? Just that you are not in charge...?

Yeah. in San Felipe all the members trusted and followed me. here, I'm supposed to trust and follow them. Basically, I know how to be number one and I can do it well, but I don't know how to be number two or three, or six. It's just that the ward has its own pace that I'm not supposed to touch. :)

Elder Hilario and Elder Brown

Ahhh, makes sense. Just put forth your best effort and it will be okay.

It's mostly just that it's all different every time I transfer. :) Sometimes its just a bit harder to orient myself.

Yep. One thing about missions is you have to learn to adjust and get used to change.

uuummmmm....

Elder Hilario is AWESOME. He works super hard and he really wants to do the right thing. :) He played soccer as a goalie before the mish.

Fun story:

Elder Brown's New Bedroom

we prayed to find a man waiting outside a red house the other day. we left to work like a normal day. We contacted a couple of people and then, without even thinking about it, I talked to a man leaning on his car. I gave him a card and he asked us to enter. As we left, and upon writing his address and recognizeable features of his house, we realized it was rather red. :) The thing I learned is that many times God answers our prayers if we're willing to work and obey anyway. :) He'll pour down a miracle of tithing if we're already living it because we can. He might work miracles if we're obeying the commandment for the miracle, but He'll ALWAYS pour down miracles if we're willing to obey anyway.

Leaving San Felly

Every day, 6:30 am
Roll out of bed
Every day, 8:00 am
sit down and study, searching the treasure map for that treasure we call "God"
Every day, 9:00 am
talk together and ponder, researching the refining process for that treasure we call "people"
Every day, 10:00 am
kneel down, leave home and search, under rocks, over em, in the streets, alleys and everywhere else, for that treasure we call "investigators"
Every day, between 10 am and 9 pm

My District while serving in San Felipe

sit down and study, this time with our treasure, "investigators", to show them the real treasure "God", and his refining process for His Children.
Every day, 9:00 pm
Kneel down and treasure the gift we call "miracles"
Every so often, between 6 weeks and 6 months (transfers)
Look back kneel down and thank the true treasure, "God" for the treasure He's made out of you.

You may wonder where I am now...
I'm in Bugambilias, Mexicali
I got there on a bus
I get around on a bike
My companion is elder hilario
he's from michoacán
He's been out 8 months
I was super grateful for everything I'd been able to experience in San Felipe and I cried because I was super grateful.
It took me 2.5 hours from san felipe to mexicali and then 10 minutes from the bus station to my house.
Yep, that's about it honestly...

#Elderbrown I want my teacher back.

--Love, Elder Brown

A little note from Brock's Mom: The picture to the right was posted on social media by one of Elder Brown's investigators and newly baptized members of the San Felipe Branch. His post read, "Fue muy triste llegar y ver ese lugar vacio. #ElderBrown Quiero a mi maestro de regreso." In English that means, "It was very sad to arrive and see that empty place. #Elderbrown I want my teacher back."

It is very easy to understand why Elder Brown loved this area so deeply. He truly loved the people. He loved teaching them, loved serving them, loved being around them. He grew as a missionary and individual in many ways. He is growing into something far beyond what I, his mother, could ever teach him to be. He is being stretched in ways only the Lord, faith, humility, and love can help one grow. Thank you to all the members of San Felipe for your love, generosity, compassion, testimonies, strength, and perserverance through trials. Thank you for your examples. Elder Brown has learned so much from each of you.

One Purpose of Home & Visiting Teaching

WOW!!!! What a week!! we've still been visiting mostly less-active members.

Honestly, I don't really remember much of what we did.

What is the weather like? STILL HOT!!!

What suggestions would you have for someone to do before they go on their mission to help prepare them for it? Do your home teaching. Focus on helping the family PROGRESS. If you can help a family PROGRESS in their daily scripture study, in their family reading and prayers, and in their home, you will have practice for the mission. home teaching is supposed to make YOU accountable for the growth of SOMEONE ELSE.

What do you eat? I eat a lot of good stuff. Almost every single time there's meat, it's on a bone. More accurately, the bone is on the meat.

How have you strengthened your testimony this week? Well, it's not exactly one specific experience, or may not even be the strengthening of a testimony, but Every time I share a message that helps other people feel happier and helps others progress, I know that Heavenly Father loves us and knows exactly how we can be happy, that's why he gives us commandments through a LIVING PROPHET, even though they don't make sense to us. We may pretend that things won't go wrong if we disobey, and they might not, but WE will be sad in our hearts.

Who have you been inspired by this week? Every week, when I see R** go to church and try so hard to help others do it as well, I realize just how much I can do to grow. We're here on earth to PRACTICE the things we already learned in the spirit world. Ramon is practicing VERY WELL.

Well, that's the week. :)

Fun Week

Hola! Fun week last week!!

J* was a super active member about a year and a half ago. He had been branch missionary leader, he had worked with the missionaries and had done a BUNCH of stuff. Then something happened and he lost pretty much all wind in his sails. We met him because he was getting an english-speaking job and he wanted practice with his english. We went over to his house and he started talking about the "glory days". You know what I'm talking about. Everyone's seen someone just mentally "stuck" on the "golden age". It happened to me on the mission too. I've looked back on the "glory days" and it's caused a lot of collateral damage. It's cost me a lot. I told him that basically, "Yes, they WERE awesome, but we can't live in the past. Those days will never come back. It will never exist again in the same way, and isn't that a blessing?!" the "Good ol' Days" were great, but they're not here anymore, and there's no way to get em back. It's the MIRACLE of this plan. Through the atonement we can have new and wonderful days. It helps us create new glory days. Just think of how Adam must have felt after being kicked out of the Garden of Eden, without sickness or sadness, and coming into THIS world. But just as for us, it was for him. "they WERE awesome, but it doesn't exist. It will never come back. It will never exist again, and isn't that a blessing?!"

The glory days will never be like the old ones. They'll be better, but if we're always striving for the past ones, then we'll never get anywhere. That was the idea I was trying to get through his head. He has accepted that we return and visit him more. We will have to wait and see how things play out with him.

Not-so-gift-of-tongues experience: we were contacting and I saw a couple of asian ladies outside their house, I said, "Disculpe, Puedo obsequiarles una tarjeta de Jesucristo?" They started talking to me in something. Definietly was NOT Spanish. Definitely was NOT English. then I said it's translation: "Can I give you a card of Jesus Christ?" they gave me the same thoroughly interesting set of sounds as the first time, and with that, I kind of gave up. :) I gave them their cards and went off, thoroughly determined to learn that language one day. :)

Fuzzy but Cool

A Baptism and A Little Salsa!

HOLA BAGOLA! Another week here in San Felipe! I've been noticing a really interesting pattern this past while-ito (little while). Remember Amulek? me neither. ;)

Elder Evans, R** and Elder Brown

Aulek was reactivated by Alma and then what did he do? He preached? Why? I don't know all the reasons, but I certainly know a few.

The teacher learns more than the student.

The teacher is blessed with the opportunity to see mistakes and their consequences BEFORE they live it.

They have a bright remembrance of the "newness" of the gospel, that, frankly, we probably don't.
Even people who have attended church for the first time can bear testimony of small things.

There's nothing more converting than service.

Cake that us Elders made for the Salsa Competition

As R** said, "I started asking myself why God wasn't talking to me that much, then I went to find out who he was talking to." maybe you've already got the baby steps figured out. GOOD JOB. God's not gonna sit there and baby step you the rest of your life. Help Him baby step someone else and REDISCOVER the art of babystepping. Fantastic week again. Things only get better. :)

The San Felipe Branch had a Salsa Competition (food not dance). Elder Evans ended up winning and I took second place. Here's my almost winning recipe (I created it myself).

Elder Brown's Pineapple Salsa
6 tomatillos 2 habaneros 3 serranos 1/4 onion Boil above ingredients for 15 minutes.
Remove from water and blend. Then add: 5 pineapple rings and their juices 1.5 peaches 1 lime 1/2 red pepper and salt to your taste.

Filling Up on the Good

R*** was talking about how he had felt a LOT of promptings in the beginning of his conversion. Then he said that after a couple of weeks they went away a bit. He felt like God had kind of left him alone and he started to wonder why. Then he came on visits with us. He said that God had come to help and heal him. Then when he was better, it was his job to start looking for where God was. He said it was kind of a game. God's not with him anymore, because he's not so sick. Thus, if he wants to be closer to God, he starts to go where He goes: with the sick, the sad, and the smitten. Isn't that an interesting thought?

Next, we had a lesson with someone named Jose Luis. He'd been a drug addict since the age of 10 or 11. We told him that repentance is not the process of removing something bad alone. The most important part of true repentance is filling it with something better. It's like a cup. I can see an empty cup and say that it's a wasted cup. I can tell you that I don't want any air in the cup. Then I'll tell you to take the air out of it. However, for every air molecule that leaves, another one enters. Likewise, there's really no way to defeat sin. We simply can't pull air out of the cup. Neither can we effectively pull/push sin out of our lives.

The secret, then, is that we fill the glass with water. We practice the principles of faith. We start by reading the scriptures, then we pray and attend church. As we continue practicing, we receive the Holy Ghost more in our lives, and then we start sharing it. Like R** said, we start going in search of God and His miracles in the lives of others. As we continually fill our cups, we can finally truly repent of the mistakes we have made or are currently making. We can say that repentance is composed of a series of steps such as recognition, remorse, restitution, reformation, resolution, etc., but I honestly feel that it comes down to this simple principle: we fill our life with smart/good things and simultaneously take necessary measures to do away with the dumb/bad things.

--Elder Brown

The Work is Progressing

This week was rather exciting. We had 4 investigators watch general conference, and 4 less active members watch it too. :) On top of that, R* is inviting his brother and sister in law to come to church. Things keep plugging along.

Resolution with E* the Schizophrenic: We saw him one morning while we were running fo excercise. He called us over and started telling us he was done with us, which we already knew. Then he said, "the Book of Mormon is... gulp... false." I thought it was amazing to see how even a schizophrenic can recognize the truth of something. You could see it in his eyes and his whole reaction that he knew he was lying.

R* is doing really well. :) His sister, E*, is going through a difficult trial. She keeps trying with everything, but it's pretty hard... keep her in your prayers and communication. :)

J* was a less-active youth we visited for the first time. We talked to her and, honestly, it was super different. First off, we could tell when she was lying and when she was hiding things. It was super easy. What we decided to do is call her out on every lie and every attempt to hide the truth. Honestly, she got kind of defensive, and we knew she would. She felt like we already knew her before or like we could read her mind. In the end, after aving been visited by a lot of people a for a long time, she came to churh and read her scriptures by herself. She said that being "called out" helped her realize that things really weren't going too well.

DR V*, one of our investigators, came to general conference as well. We keep seeing progress.

Thanks for all your love and support.

Elder Brown

Elder Brown's One Year Video

Here is a little video that was put together by R* (one of Elder Brown's investigators). This was shown at the surprise party celebrating both Elder Brown and Elder Evans' one year anniversary on their mission. Thanks R* for putting this together and for helping to organize a surprise party with the  San Felipe Branch. You are all awesome!

Surprising Elder Brown

Still stuck in San Fellyyyyy!!!!!! WWWWWWWWWWHHHHHOOOOOOOAAAAHHHH!!! Ok. Still with Elder Evans. Still in the best area in the world. :D 

Elder Brown tutoring Math

R*, knowing that we finished a year on the mission on September 16th, decided to throw us a surprise branch party. We accidently walked in on the setting up and helped them set up, but we had no clue as to what the party was for. We thought it was someone's birthday and were too embarrassed for not knowing who the party was for so we did't ask. After we finished setting it all up, R* took charge and said, "Well, actually, this party you helped set up was for you!" Then after the dinner they made a presentation. I got teary-eyed. R* and his sister, E* are seriously such amazing people!!! The funniest thing is that they think we are too. ;)

Anyway, R* and E* are now helping us with visits (remember that they are investigators and not yet members). They come and share how the Book of Mormon and living prophets have helped them to make changes in their life. It's really cool being able to see the changes they make in their life. :)

Celebrating 1 year in the Mission

Wonderful People

Actually, E* is a very powerful example to me: The day after she started listening to us she asked when she could get baptized. She had already read from the introduction to 1 nephi 6, and remembered it. She started teaching the pamphlets and everything to her kids. She is going through a trial and is VERY grateful that the gospel came into her life BEFORE this trial started and not AFTER.

E* was VERY VERY depressed yesterday and we decided that instead of listen and listen and try to teach and teach, we'd do what Christ did when he said, "Come and see." We had her come and visit less active members and other recent converts. We had her teach them, then we had them teach her. Se said that she felt a lot better being able to compare her problem with those of others and realize that she'd prefer her trial over others she had heard about. She learned that sometimes, actually much of the time, we need to recognize the problem, deal with it how we can, then MOVE ON and HELP SOMEONE ELSE if we want an adequate perspective.

I LLLOOOVVVEE San Felipe, but not just because it's a nice place or for the nice people. It's like Mosiah 18:30: "And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer..."

In my time here I have seen people truly come to love Christ. truly come to love his prophets. I have come to love my Savior more deeply. I love people more genuinely, and I love life more richly. San Felipe hasn't been the cause, exactly, but it's been the place. I know that we're children of God. He loves us. His son came to earth to save us. We are made of CELESTIAL material, and we realize just how celestial we are the more we stretch, the more our heartstrings are pulled, twisted, and outright torqued.

--Elder Brown

I've Hit My One Year Mark!

Funny Story: A* was trying to prepare a talk on love. She wanted a couple verses to back her up a bit, and asked us for advice. We sent her to the book, Songs of Solomon, in the Bible, and assured her there were PLENTY of verses describing love. :) She called us back 20 minutes later saying, "Those weren't the verses I wanted!" My companion and I had a really good laugh. :)

cool Article: There is no middle ground, youth media, Read it if you want. Not gonna take the time to summarize it.

Elder Pino a member of the Area Presidency came and talked to us. Thought he'd have some mind-blowing new doctrine to give us. Just showed us a picture of a horse obediently tied to one of those really light plastic chair and said, "mental ties are stronger than any physical bond we can make. WAKE UP." However, the more time I have to think about that experience, the more I like it. :)

One year mark: Wow. It was suuuper crazy the day Elder Evans and I completed a year in the mission. We realized that every day on the calendar won't get a second shot anymore. Wow. We ate sushi, watched Meet the Mormons with R*, E*, P*, and her kids and then ate chocolate cake. It was thoroughly enjoyable. It was crazy at the end seeing a missionary go out and realizing that I did that exactly a year ago, in exactly that spot... On top of that, the San Felipe Branch loved us SSOOOOO much they threw a HUGE party after that. No, just kidding. It was a party for independence day. :)

Independence Day: SSSUUUPER FUN!!! I have a bunch of videos but I get the feeling you'll know more about it by watching the ones on FB.

I Love My Mission

Yet another week's flown by. Half of it we weren't even here. Monday tuesday wednesday we were between tijuana (for the visas) and mexicali (for district meeting). Friday we were in Mexicali again for a meeting with the president. In other words, we worked 2 hours wednesday, half the day thursday, and all of saturday. Sunday we were both sick from a watermelon we ate for breakfast. JOY. :)

 Somehow we managed to get the majority of a week's work shoved into a half-weeks timeframe, but it still managed to show a lot of oranges: 0, 0, 0, 0. Actually, It's been a really big blessing being here, even though our work isn't showing much fruit. I LLOOOVVVVEE San Felipe.

For example:

There's one investigator who came to church only to bring his rebellious member friend back to God. The investigator got stuck too. :) For the efforts of this one man, who has PLENTY of trials in his own life, 10 other people came to church yesterday. His friend is now in the process of becoming worthy of the sacrament, P*, our recent convert who has been too sick to do anything and too prideful to accept help, accepted that he take her and her four children to church. He is now taking charge of the kids' attendance to the other activities during the week. Even more, He introduced us to his sister, S*, who came with her three kids. That's 11 more people (R* inclusive) who came yesterday and will continue coming for his efforts.

S*, the owner of the pig, after three lessons and a church attendance already says that one day she wants to be a teacher of something like that. both her and ramon want to get baptized. Those two are heroes to me.

After learning about the Word of Wisdom, R* told me he remembers wanting to buy nachos one night, and he heard, "they'll hurt your stumach afterward". He told us he did it anyway, and that little voice in his head was right. Not saying nachos are against the word of wisdom, but i am saying that if we pay attention, our body is very willing to tell us beforehand if it keeps in line with the commandment or if it will break it. Also, it proves this point my mom told me: Pride gets in the way of our safety for we often overlook the warning signs thinking we know how to handle a situation

Elder Neal a anderson said faith and fear cannot coexist in his talk of october 2015.

My Mom sent me this:

One story that really stuck out to me at conference was about the many people who lost their lives after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan a few years ago. Japan is very used to earthquakes and their buildings are very secure. The earthquake that cause that large tsunami was quite powerful, however it didn't do damage to the buildings and the people were safe. They had about 30 minutes between the time the earthquake finished and the tsunami hit that they could have escaped to higher ground and to safety. However, they DID NOT heed the warning signs and leave. They were complacent and under the mindset that because their buildings were not damaged and they were used to earthquakes, they didn't need to leave. However, 150,000 people lost their lives because of the tsunami. This really drove home to me how complacent and prideful we can all get in our daily lives. Let us ever be more diligent in knowing and heeding the warning signs!

It reminded me of what happens with investigators. Their conscience (and ours) tells us what is the right thing and what is the wrong thing. It's suuuuper simple!! Sometimes we think it's "over the top" or something like that, but it's what's necesary in such dangerous situations. sometimes, after a week or two of success, we start to get comfortable, and leave the essencials a little to the side. We know who's going to fall If we know who's comfortable. :)

Amos 3:7 says that god will do nothing ecxept it be through a prophet, or one chosen and assigned with the keys of God. Our church leaders have the keys, then THEY are the ones that open heaven's blessings, not us.  How do we sustain the prophet? How do we sustain his representatives in our stakes, wards, and quorums?

Love,
Elder Brown

Celestial Material

O* and G* got cold feet about the WHOLE THING a couple days before their baptism. They don't want us to visit them anymore. It was SSUUPPER sad. Kinda frustrating.

Meet E*:

E* is a Schizophrenic. He has abused just about every drug in just about every way. He said he's been born again and has seen visions of the future. He believes that the social security number is the mark of the beast and refuses to accept any number of any form of identification in any way. He believed himself a prophet and was coming to san felipe to save the world. he was called of god to share his message and boy has he been trying to do it. He says that cars are the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and will be destroyed. We taught him about the importance of a prophet and of following him, and he seemed to accept it. It was kinda weird. he seemed to genuinely seek the truth but just be WWWAAAYYY too over enthusiastic. he is still kinda smoking and is working on some personal parts of the law of chastity. he believes in the Book of Mormon and is kinda progressing. All in all, we're kinda just waiting.

Quick lesson I've learned here in the past week and kind of the whole mission: Never confuse what you have with who you are. M* has an addiction to the cigarrette, but she IS a child of God. I don't have too much patience, but I AM a child of God. We are made of CELESTIAL stuff, not just a cumulation of chemicals and happenstance.

Plus, received a cool thought from my mom that came from pres. monson:

Courage may be necessary for you to believe; it will at times be necessary as you obey. It will most certainly be required as you endure until that day when you will leave this mortal existence.

I have spoken over the years with many individuals who have told me, “I have so many problems, such real concerns. I’m overwhelmed with the challenges of life. What can I do?”

I have offered to them, and I now offer to you, this specific suggestion: seek heavenly guidance one day at a time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be true for just one day—and then one more and then one more after that—until we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness.

The Savior promised, “Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.”

Last thought:

Alms 12 29 struck me an odd way the other day. previously it talks about our fallen state in this world. Alma tells us God's solution in 29. When was the last time you contemplated His glory? How? When has someone inspired you to contemplate this glory? When was the last time you helped someone else contemplate it? How do you think you could do it today? I realized that THAT was the purpose of missionary work. We help our friends, family, investigators and others to just think for a minute, REALLY think about the glory of God. Whether it be with our spirit, with our thoughts , or with anything else. THAT is what we really are invited to do.

Keep Going!

Not to say I'm counting, but today marks a year left of the mission. It's sad, and it's exciting. This week was quite unique.

WE spent ALLLLLLLLL DAY EVERY DAY in the sun talking to people and looking for someone to teach or help. All that work ended up very fruitful. Actually, about like this orange: 0. Nothing, nothing, nothing. But at least it did so in a variety of entertaining manners. :)

For example, we found a lukewarm marriage and very enthusiastic children. We taught them about baptism, prayer, and church attendance, we came back the next day, and the parents didn't want anything. We helped the kids with their math (there's worse apostasy in math than in religion here) and then I received a bit of my childhood revenge with the most obnoxious child I have ever met. He threw water at me and SOAKED ME. almost getting my scriptures, which was my real worry. He moved the table every time his sister started writing. He tried robbing our bikes from us and then when we locked them together, started taking them apart. Then he started throwing a metal tent rod at us and started drawing all over his sisters homework. He told us he didn't like us and we were bad people in a way loaded with swearwords, both in spanish and english. Then he played his cop siren really loud right by us. What did we do? We taught him the dirtiest naughtiest most offensive swearword in the english language so he could at least focus on one problem: Peanut butter jelly. :) At least he cleaned up his language. :) I think that was the highlight of a stinking difficult day. :) It was SSUUUPER difficult.

Every day of the week last week was out in the sun looking for someone to teach because for some reason the 10 investigators that were progressing two weeks ago kinda burnt out. Oh well. Bye bye O* and G*. In the past two weeks, we've found 32 investigators. The only one that was progressing decided to move to a place called Puertocitos, about 2 hours from San Felipe and without cell service. I can't believe someone would go and built a city where there wasn't cell service!!!!!

Anyway, we got to church worried about what would happen with church attendance, and nobody of those 32 people came. The interesting thing is that the branch members, unknowledgeable and imperfect as they may be, certainly do their missionary work well. They brought 3 people to church that we had never even seen before. God does His work, with us or without. Isn't that comforting. :)

You ever seen that upside down cup thing where it's full of water? We did that with a member. It was pretty funny. We filled up a plastic cup with water and then put it upside down on the table. Hermana G*'s 12 yr old daughter, M*, picked it up and got ALL wet. Then they did it again, and got her 15 yr old brother, J*. They did it again and got his friend with it too. :) It's a pretty good prank. :) Just try not to do it on wood, because water can stain it pretty bad.

I know I already sent a bit about it last week, but it really does help. It changes things. Every night I've tried to think of all the people who have helped me or others and given me an example of christlike attributes. It changes me. President Eyering told us about it in his talk, "the priesthood man". It really surprises me every time. Time and time again, I realize just how much God loves me.

Actually, I've been learning more and more personally that I am a child of God. You are too. We might say, "I'm bad at (fill in the blank)" or "Im easily frustrated", but not I'm a child of God, with eternal potential. We might also say, “I might struggle to learn (fill in the blank)” or “I might lack patience,” but the only thing we really are is a child of God.

Another thing. I've learned is that it's really really easy to almost leave the mission, to almost leave the church, or to almost give up. I am convinced that President Monson almost gave up. Everyone does it. Ammon did it. There is no one that doesn't. Everyone gets discouraged and doubts their core beliefs. I learned a really useful trick to help me in these times, because many times, we're too scared to even acknowledge it. I was really down in the dumps one night. I couldn't sleep, I was sick, and there were some serious regrets running through my mind. It happens. It will. I sat down and wrote every single one of them out that I could think of. Then I prayed to ask for help in identifying the truth from the falsehood of the situation. I felt like a failure in more than one way. In more than five ways. I wrote it out and acknowledged it. Then I prayed to ask for God's perspective and when I wrote a second time, things seemed better. :) Maybe it could help you. :)

Anyway, good week, still alive, pretty interesting in a rather dull way. Enjoy your life! :)

Another Great Week

Holaa!! good week again. Probably getting tired of hearing the same thing over and over. Anyway, it's been a really good week. First off, I've been out here 11 months and can speak Spanish very comfortably. I know the lessons and the principles sufficiently. I know the area and the members well. I have sufficient organizational skills. However, In the past week I've realized how very little I know. Thank goodness we've been given the gift of prayer.

Isn't She Awesome?

I remember my companion having lost things and searching for them for a while. I would decide to pray and then as I would get up to look, I found it. I remember having lost a couple of things too, but with a prayer, I found it. It's suuuuper easy!! I remember times where we just didn't know what to plan for the next day and so we prayed and the solution came. ion or decision wasn't and isn't important, an accompanying decision is. For example:

We were going somewhere, really with no plan. I felt like I should knock a specific door, and did. Nobody came out, even though the family was very obviously home and very obviously noticed us. We looked down at our planners and really realized how few ideas we had to finish the day off. Then my companion looked up and said, "let's help that guy rake." we went over, arrived just in time to offer to help and do nothing, and then shared a lesson with him. We'll see what happens. Don't confuse the street signs with the destination, but keep going. Nephi didn't confuse the land bountiful with the promised land. Things will work out. Prayer is the expression of our will to God, whether it be in action, on our knees, in conversation, or anything else. Revelation is the expression of God's will to us, whether it be in miracles, a thought, a general feeling, a way things just seem to work out, or even a way they don't.

Anyway, I've also been practicing more specific gratitude in prayer and it's pretty cool. I try to think of ways that other people have blessed me and how others have been an example to me. I realize that it happens much more often than we might like to think. SSSOOOOO many people help us on a daily basis. Isn't it wonderful?!

God loves us. I might be Elder Brown. I might be American. I might be a son. But I'm DEFINITELY a child of God. and You are too. Nothing can change that and nothing will separate us from His Everlasting Love. That is evidenced in Christs Sacrifice. I know that Christ came to help us. He came to hlep us in everything.

Anyway. Good week. :) love yall!

Transfers...Bring On the Q&A

Where in the mission are you serving? (please state the city, area, and/or ward that you are serving in).
Still in San Felipe Branch. WWWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Who is your companion?
Elder Evans!!!!! WWWWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Elder Campuzano with Members and Elder Brown

Tell me something you know about your companion
He ran track and XC and knows Nick (my cousin from Payson).

What will you miss most about your last companion?
I'm gonna miss the fact that he always knew what to do. He was a superly duperly good companion and always tried to help in EVERYTHING that he could. :)

What was transfer day like for you? How did you get to your new area?
Transfer day was ssuuupper long!! I was sick and had a HUUUGE pounding headache. I've got a miserable cold.

Elder Brown and Elder Evans

Is your area a walking/biking area?
I'm gonna be on bike. WOOOOOOO!!!!

What is one area of growth you have noticed in yourself since you've been out on your mission?
It's very noticeable around the waist...

Is there anything you'd like to tell your family about serving a mission that they don't already know?
A couple things, but they all seem to be about the same. Moses, after an experience with God, says that "Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed." another is in 1 corinthians 3 6 " I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" You may very well be among the "most prepared" missionaries. You may very well know the scriptures forward and backward even leaving out on the mission, but when we truly see the work of God in someones life, we really begin to notice the order of how things go. Try getting used to it.

Any tips on how to keeping motivated on being more productive?
Act quickly. DONT DELAY. If an idea comes to mind, always, ALWAYS do something about it. Whether it be writing it down on a notepad, whether it be gathering our thoughts, whether it be letting our tushies take a rest from that seated position we tend towards and spending calories, do SOMETHING with it. Later, analyze the process and improve upon it. The faster we learn to act, the more often we will follow the Spirit in the Exact hour.

How have you been? How are things down in Mexico? Hope you are enjoying it. Make the most of it because it runs out fast. What is one of the things that you look forward to each week? How is your Spanish? I would like to learn more sometime.
I've been doing superly duperly well. Mexico is SWEET! What do I look forward to? Well, Sunday is always a really exciting day. I PLAY PIANO IN PRIMARY!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!!! Probably one of the funnest things EVER. :) I love seeing how many people come to church and seeing the fruits of what we do during the week. I feel like it's a weekly checkpoint where I can look back on what happened. Also, I love the classes. The branch is understaffed and so we're always being dragged from one leak in the boat to another. It keeps me on my toes and ready for anything. :) My spanish is coming along. :) Thank you everyone who wrote for what you wrote. thank you everyone who prays for your prayers. Thank you family for always loving me and being such an example of Christlike service and character.

I LOOOVVEE the Mission. I am so grateful for this opportunitiy to serve and to learn so many things. We can't be perfect. Fortunately we don't have to. by nature, we break things down, we make enemies, we can rot in regret for past decisions. Fortunately, we have a Savior who will help us. He asks ONE THING AT A TIME, not too many. It reminds me of that paralyzed guys example. How hard would it be to pick up a 500 pound hay bail? Yet even an 8 yr old could move it if he just learned to CUT THE STRINGS. How difficult is it trying to untangle a ball of yarn if we just start pulling and pushing? but if we simply start at a loose end, we can always get the rest worked out. Take your time, but be diligent, and the knots, no matter how gnarly will eventually untangle themselves. While we work willingly toward eternal righteousness, the rest of what goes on around us will eventually take care of itself. I know it. I love it.

Alma and Amulek: Examples of Humility

HOOOOLLLAAA!

Green Bug in a Green House

Not too much to report this week. we worked, we sweated, then we sweated some more. San Felipe is sweet!! We were with Priscila, the Recent convert with more health problems than my companion has hair (he's balding, so that's not saying much) is continuing in the same cycle. She gets sick, and she continues working. then she can't do ANYTHING and she HAS to rest, so she sends her kids off to someone elses house. She starts feeling okay and misses her kids so she brings em back and starts working, even though she's still sick. This has been happening for three or four weeks now... Every time we went over we told her of the HUMILITY it takes to accept help. The Savior did it. He accepted the annointing from Mary and he accepted that someone else carried His cross to Calvary. He accepted the devotion of his disciples. Sometimes the "crosses of this world" that we must learn to despise is the notion of independence, of I do it and noone else.

Tea Cup Made from Tires

Alma and Amulek demonstrated this type of humility in Ammonihah. In the beginning of chapter 14, they had just finished speaking to Zeezrom, and he and many others started to repent. The rest of the city's leaders conspired against them and the power of God which was in them. in verses 3,4, and 5, tAlma and Amulek were thrown in prison injustly. How do you think that would have felt? How have you felt that kind of indignation or injustness in your life? Why? What did Alma and Amulek do in order to forgive their accusers? Now let's read verses 8 and 9. How would you feel knowing you had called down miracles from heaven before, but couldn't in this situation? Keep in mind that Amulek's own wife and children very well could have been among the victims. How useless or impotent would you feel? Amulek expresses this in verse 10, but what is Alma's response in verse 11? How hard would that have been? How can we use that same perspective to overcome our setbacks? our feelings of uselessness? of impotence? Then read verse 13. How can we say that in the face of trial? How can we show it?

The Lord Will Help Us in Our Daily Lives

hola!!!

yet another good week here!

M*, the lady who almost smoked two cigarettes at a time, is now going on three days without touching one and without any symptoms. She received a priesthood blessing that promised her that she would no longer be dependent upon the cigarette, and it's happened. That was pretty cool!!

Next, a new investigator named N* listened to us the first time on Saturday and told us her and her special friend were on the edge of collapse. she was ready to leave him and him her. we told her that the power of God in her life would either pull them together or push them apart. We came back on Sunday and asked her about how things were going, and she said that they didn't even fight. He was actually kind to her, and she was taken aback. It is true, as matthew 19:5-6 says, "what therefore Gos has put together, let not man divide asunder" or in other words, "If God's in our marriage, no man can separate us"

We were talking with O* and G*, the parents of F*, M*, and V*, and they told us yesterday, "I can tell you (elder brown) were crazy as a kid. I can tell you were all over. That's what surprises me. How is it that you were able to get on a mission? How is it that you worked from such a young age to save money to work and serve two years straight? We see you every day, you come running in (late) and apologize because another appointment went long before. You go running out apologizing because you have another appointment to attend to. You're on your bikes all day every day. You don't really get a break. the sun doesnt affect you. Heavens I don't even know when you eat! When do you go to the Bathroom?!" At that one, I thought it was pretty funny. You should hear my comp there. whooooof! anyway. Yes, our schedule every day is quite the adventure. I quite love it. We get to do help in SOOOO many ways and do SOOO many things. I consider it a great blessing being here.

funny little kid story. V* is 8 years old. He really likes what were teaching and loves everything. I get along really well with him, probably because we're about the same age mentally. ;) Anyway, in a random conversation he asked me how he would be able to write without hands. I told him, "just put the pencil in your nose!" he said "eew!! How would that work?!" I said, "well your finger sure seems to fit pretty well!" there was nothing more telling than his sheepish laugh. :)

quick fun scritpure for the day! Ezekiel 33:11-12
11 Does God want us to suffer? What does please God? What, then, is His invitation? This invitation, then, is the key to our happiness.

--Elder Brown p.s. Sorry for the delay in posting. Our family was on vacation last week and we didn't have internet connection much of the time. Thanks for following Elder Brown's mission. We are grateful for everyone's love, support, and prayers in his behalf.

You Know You're In Mexicali When...

HOOOLA! Not too much to share, unfortunately, as we spent the majority of the time in Mexicali. However, I learned some pretty cool things there, for example, 

You know you're in Mexicali when...

The "not so gentleman" you're contacting spits at you, but it evaporates before it can hit you. you open a bottle that fifteen minutes ago had ice in it and find steam. You have a tan line through your shirt, marking where your tie goes. :)

What else?

We met this lady named M* the other day. She's pretty cool. She had talked with President S* and told him that she was interested in hearing from us. Prs. S* talks to EVERYONE about the church. If he sees me contacting, then he takes some of my cards and contacts EVERYONE around me. He feels no shame. Then again, not sure why one would feel embarrassed about talking about the STINKING COOLEST MOVEMENT in the history of the world! Adam was mormon before it was cool to be mormon. Actually, he was probably one of the most mormon mormons that any mormon had ever seen mormon. Anyway, you get the point.

Tijuana Temple Trip May 2016

Back to M*, she has been smoking since she was 10 or 12. Her mom never had a stable relationship. Her family is full of problems, more problems than a math textbook. She said she hadn't ever really felt happy in her life. She's taking care of a schizophrenic sister and drug addict nephews. The list goes on, and on. Anyway, she almost doesn't put down her cigarettes. She almost smokes two at a time, honestly. Well, she did. After the first lesson, she told us that she didn't even want to smoke a cigarette for 6 HOURS after. Crazy Right!! She is evidence of the prophecy in Amos 8:11-12. She was running to and fro in search of the Gospel of peace and joy, and she knew not where to find it. Now, however, she's finding more and more peace as she reads the scriptures and prays every day and as she goes to church every week.

Honestly, I believe that's it. Loving the work here. Learning a bunch. Seeing things happen and changes take place.

I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that He came to this earth to show us a perfect example. He suffered pain, offense, and attacks in every manner, from almost every person. He had more problems in His life than any other person that has ever walked the earth. Despite all these, he could have lived a king, a God, even, but he chose to do something greater. He took upon him OUR transgressions, addictions, pains, embarrassments, and problems. He chose to DIE, that with His death, he might bring us, all of us, out of every problem, sadness, and disappointment, or even addiction, we may have. He lived, he suffered, and He died, but that's not quite so important, because HE LIVES, and LOVES us.

It's Never Too Late to Follow Christ

Sweet week once again! Just getting to the fun stories! anyway, I can honestly say that when we are asked to talk to EVERYONE about God, it means EVERYONE. (mosiah 18, 8-10). We don´t need another impression on top of that... anyway. here goes.

¨D*¨
We contacted a drug addict minutes before the injection. we gave a picture of Christ and then, with both the savior and the drug in his hand, we invited him to drop and step on the drugs. We came and invited him right in the last moment. WE´ve been given the gift of the Holy Ghost and covenants to protect us from evil forces. Every time, when faced with a choice like that, we´ll hit a speed bump, the Holy Ghost, yeling out, WAIT!!! THINK OF CHRIST. Which voice will we follow? It´s never EVER too late to start following Christ.

Romeo and Juliet
Hna N*, the member who finally decided to forgive the baby for what the adultering parents did, ran into another family feud this week. The argument or the evidences don´t really matter, but suffice it to say that the son-in-law was throwing out some pretty good threats. Don´t ever let a problem to be solved look more important than a person to be loved. I get the feeling thats a quote. Why is it that we let the smallest family problems erupt in the biggest, most damaging forest fires? Like in James 5 I believe, it says ¨how great a forest burneth a simple spark.¨ or something like that.

Family Home Evening
Invite your frineds to your family home evenings. What parent wouldn't want their children giving little spiritual thoughts or the family all together learning about Heavenly Father and each other? Seriously! It´s marveous!!

Malcolm the Parrot

Malcolm the parrot. He speaks english, not spanish. odd, right? Especially since he´s in a Mexican less- actives home. Turns out, he legitimately smokes and drinks coffee... ok... pretty good though. :) He accepted the baptismal invitation and we had a pretty good laugh with our DL´s. :)

3 nephi 13:22
I came across this scritpure and I thought it was pretty cool. I thought about the importance of setting goals. where are your goals? Do you have them? Would you say your goals are single?

LOOOVE the missionary work. I know this work is true. God loves us SSSOOOO much!! Anyway, gtg. LOVE YALL!!! BYE!!

Missionary Work -- I Love It!

Monday. That's pretty funny. It seems like just last week it was monday. ;) Loving my time down here in San Felipe. It's hot. Not sure if we're swimming or riding a bike. Not sure if I'm being baptized by water with the humidity, or by fire, with the heat. Anyway...

The branch says I laugh more with my eyes than
just about anything else. They dedicated this
picture to me.

O* (the dad in the picture last week) went to church again. We learned last week that he got married to G* 4 years ago. Se already had 3 children: F* (14), M* (8), and V* (4). Needless to say, it was a really hard transition for the kids. Still, four years later, they have a hard time accepting his authority. O* is a VERY good father. G* is a VERY good mother. M* and V* went to church with them this Sunday. They're starting to read the scriptures as a family and it's super exciting seeing it all play out. G* prayed for her fist time last week. This week she taught her kids to do it. They've been reading and have been seeing changes. It's super galooper exciting.

Yes that's a wild pig running the streets of San Felipe.
Stinking HILARIOUS! I LOVE IT!!!

C*and C* are two new investigators. They've been reading and progressing as well. We met them when we went out with N* (the member from last week). She invited C* to listen, and she accepted. THAT EASY. N* has actually taken charge of what we teach and how we help C*. She set her own appointment with C*o to read the Book of Mormon. N* has taken full responsibility of this family's conversion. I forgot to take a pic, but I'll probably get to it some day.

We've been teaching Preach my Gospel classes here in San Felipe. The members are SOOO Awesome. 13 of the members came to the class yesterday and it's been super fun.

Love the work here. I know that this church is true and has the restored and everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love everything that it teaches. I love the power and direction of God that I see in my life. God wants to help us sooo much. We just need to trust Him with it.

I've grown to Love Ether 12:4 as an explanation of faith. We believe in God and that brings us hope in a better world. Do you believe in a better day? A more productive way to spend your time? Do you believe in a happier family? do you believe YOU can have it? What does that belief do? it strengthens our resolve to do good, making an ANCHOR to our souls. We'll be seeking, naturally for a better life, day, class, or family, and in that search, we'll do better and better things, or in other words, ABOUND in good works, and when we're so focused on doing good and glorifying God, the next natural step is repentance, in which we free more time and energy to continue doing more and more good in the world, thus glorifying God more and more.

How Mexicans wash their cars (and just about everything else).
#WaterandBroom

I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Christ can and will redeem us and heal us in every trial and difficulty. I wish I could express what I feel for this work and for Christ, but, oh well. You'll just have do figure it out too.

Read your scriptures, say your prayers, go to church. Do it heartily, as TO THE LORD, and not unto men. then Love it because you can.

Love Yall!! Bye!

Another Great Week in San Felipe

Hooooollllaaaaa! Hoy es un buen dia por ser feliz!! Pretty good week this week. Actually, it was Awesome!! There were a bunch of encouraging things. for example:

1. The church attendance went from 52 last week to 79 yesterday. the interesting thing is that there were hardly any visitors, and so about 25 more members came to church than usual. Then we went and taught the Gospel Principles class. I felt a stronger Spirit there in that class than just about any other class I've been to. there were two RM's (returned missionaries) from arizona that came in with us and one said it was the best class he'd ever been to as well. SOOO exciting!! Then we went to the 3rd hour and the EQ (Elder's Quorum) is finally getting set up in Home teaching. They're doing it #Freals.

Elder Brown and Elder Diaz during exchanges

At 7 we held a PMG (Preach My Gospel) class with the members and quite a few came. THEY REALLY WANT TO HELP HERE! We helped them teach about prophets and prepare to present a message and leave a commitment.

We will always feel the spirit most powerfully when we're doing something, so as a home teacher, visiting teacher, friend, or anything, we NEED to invite our brothers and sisters to act in some measurable, decisive manner. and we NEED to follow up on it.

2. Speaking of the RM's, they came from Arizona and are staying a couple days down here. They came down early specifically to go on splits with us. Hno (Hermano) Philip served in Chile and Hno (Hermano) Samuel served in Uruguay and they just got back a year and a half ago. They were pretty cool. :)

3. Hna G* (Sister G): She's a member who's had the normal Mexican woman's life, but she's been overcoming it in an abnormal way. She had one or two kids with one husband. He abused her. Then she had the rest of her four kids with a second. He had schizophrenia. He stabbed someone (for deception in his work) and was put in jail. She stuck with him the two years of the prison sentence and then he dumped her and told her she was cheating on him the last one or two months of it.

She was obviously devastated both reputationally and emotionally. She told me she was Never Marrying Again. Ever. We talked to her about the importance of an eternal marriage and its necesity for her eternal increase. She continued on with the "no." She started talking about marriage as if it were a degradation to her potential and capacity. I told her about a family friend who had suffered many problems in her marriages and she downright talked down at her (You're honestly one of my heroes with your ability to perservere in hope and cheerfulness).

After that, we talked about how pride sometimes doesn't allow us to give our pains and suffering to God. We bore our testimonies, and left.

The next Friday she told me she had prayed about it and that God had revealed to her that she really did need a husband to enjoy eternal joy. That was one of the coolest things. WE got to see how the word of God humbled someone and totally changed her perspective. that was really cool.

I learned that a true friend, like Nephi, sticks to God's commandments in risk of losing the friendship. She is now much more happy about things and is changing for the better.

4. Hna N* (Sister N*): actually, Sister G*''s sister. She's had a life very similar. This time, though, her husband was already baptized when he cheated on her. He was in a coma for 22 days and Sister N* found out when she was taking care of her husband and the little girly friend walked in to save her sweety. that's a fun surprise. :-\

Anyway, since that happened in March, needless to say, their marriage has been on the edge. The husband, F*, has been working REALLY REALLY hard to get things right. He's been healing REALLY REALLY miraculously and his faith is very strong now. Anyway, for one of the steps towards reinitiation to church blessings he's got to take responsibility for the baby that appeared. Sister N* was TOTALLY against it to the point where she brought the topic up and started yelling at US about it when we didn't have anything to do with the requirements. She said that she would rather divorce him than have him take responsibility for the baby.

We talked to her about pride as well. We told her that she could continue on thinking that there was an enemy in her life or she could just trust God. Pride, as President Benson said, is a sense of enmity. We said that she needed to just trust God with things and let them work out. She told us that after weeks of fuming about the requirement, she was then willing to acknowledge the baby and let her husband take responsibility for him.

I really admire her faith and her humility. Remember, Faith, hope, charity or anything else will ALL FALL if there's not a solid base of humility to base it on. and PRIDE IS NOT THINKING YOU"RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE. Pride is comparing, competing, or putting others, situations, or anything else AGAINST you. How many times does that happen in our head, every day?

Elder Brown and Elder Campuzano during a discussion

5. G* and O*  are two really awesome investigators. They've read and been keeping commitments. They came to church and were able to CONTRIBUTE in the AWESOME Gospel Principles class. They have a baptismal date August 6th and have been progressing really well.

Friday we taught them how to pray. They had never done it before. I hope you guys never lose your sense of wonder with the power of prayer. God, the most powerful being in the universe, is on the edge of his seat waiting to hear every word, wipe away every tear, and always, ALWAYS sends a big warm hug. Now, imagine yourself praying for the first time in your entire life. How would that experience be? for G*, it was amazing. She prayed and the spirit came like a wave.

I know that God always listens to and answers prayers. he LOVES to hear them, from EVERYONE.

Another great week went by and I'm still here in San Felipe with Elder Campuzano. Still swimming in the glorious humidity and, yep. The church is true. Read your scriptures. Say your prayers. Go to church. Eat tasty food and enjoy life because that's what you've got. :)

With Love,
Elder Brown

Blondes...

Lots of interesting things happening. Might be repeating a few stories, but things are awesome here!

1. My companion has high blood pressure, but it doesn't make that much sense to me because he's not very tall nor are we very high in elevation. ;)

2. Hortencia is an investigator back in Imperial, my first area. She had more problems than I have hair, and if you ask a barber, that is saying something. ;) anyway, starting with childhood abuse and ending with adulthood abuse, she's been suffering in just about everything for a very long time. She had missed many opportunities to grow and change that God was offering her, but finally she got baptized. Her kids are now learning to read and finally, FINALLY, she's left the ruthless sin cycle behind and she's been able to make progress in her life.

3. Blondies:

C* was one of the investigators (12 yrs old) that got baptized a couple weeks ago. She gave us her number and I immediately called it. I was right in front of her and she saw me dial the number and call it. She interrupted our conversation about how I shouldn't copy her, saying, "Sorry, someone's calling me"

"oh, that's good, I'll let you answer it. " I said.

Then, over the phone, She said, "Hello?"

I said, "Hello, good afternoon, how are you today?" (remember I'm right in front of her and she still doesn't realize it's me on the phone too)

"doing well, and how are you?"

"not dead yet, so I cant complain," I responded, and then continued with, "sorry, I received a call from this number yesterday, and was just responding. Who am I talking with?"

"C*" She said,

Then, over the phone, I thoughtfully said, "C*..."

She overheard me in real life and said "Stop copying me!!!"

 and then I said, "well sorry."

That was when she finally realized that she was talking with ME on the phone and that I wasn't copying her but talking with her. :)

pretty good laugh there. :)

 another time, the primary president's named A*. she's about 28 years old and she is SOOO BLONDE. Yesterday we called her and then after hanging up, she called us, and when we answered, she said, "oh, was I calling you?" We got a pretty good laugh there. :)

4. I was reading the other day and came across proverbs 14:10. It's pretty cool. :)

5. Another cool one is marcos (Mark)12:16-17

6. P*'s already coming out with us to teach our investigators and she's doing REALLY WELL!! She's SUPER EXCITED!!!! Holy Cow!! anyway, it's really helped me know that God doesn't really want wisdom, but willingness, and the rest comes by itself. :) the talk Beware of Pride is fantastic!!! I love it! I've realized that pride is the root of all evil. It's the root of every problem. It causes deep depression. It causes anger flashes. it comes in self confidence and self criticism, because both have to do with me. When I get over myself and finally get on to God and His work, things finally get working.

7. TEMPLE!!!!!!! We went to the temple!!!!!! That was soooo coool! I'm gonna go there again! and again! and again! phew. It truly is the house of the lord. It truly is a healing balm. I was reminded, once again, that Adam trusted FULLY that every affliction and trial would be taken care of, BY SOMEONE ELSE, and so he got busy doing the right things he could. He understood that sacrifices was not a part of his life, but that his life was a part of sacrifice. He forgot about the ME and focused on God. Obedience is not a simple list of rules or actions to make a recipe, but a full placement of one's trust in God. The symphony is not part of a Cellist, but the Cellist of a symphony.

8. Anyway, that's enough for today. Fantastic week this week and only better ones to go. :

Thanks for your prayers and your thoughts. Thanks for your interest and your support here, and before the mission. LOVE YALL!