Miracles Abound

Everything's Going really well here! So many good things have been happening.

First "Tag" Picture - Noah's Ark

Each of these gentlemen performed a baptism last week--on the same day. 

K* is a really faithful guy of about 85 years. He's from Utah and living here 1 because His retirement wage goes further and 2 because he's spending some of it to help a couple families out down here. He's had colon cancer and lived, he's had another very dangerous cancer and lived, now he's got hip problems. He said that it's been really hard and really painful, so much so, in fact, that even though his beliefs would never permit it, he said that he's had thoughts of suicide. He almost couldn't walk when we entered the house to give him a blessing he requested, but he said the most worrying aspect wasn't his hip, but his head. We gave him a blessing, and by that evening we saw him out and about almost as if he had brand new hips. He's definitely been a lot happier too. :)

P* has been seeing a TONN of miracles. She was abused her whole childhood in every way you can imagine. Then she was abused by her husband in just as many ways. She ended things with him when he started doing the same with her daughter, Careli. Needless to say, she was mad, she was hurt, and she had lost total trust in men, religion, God, and a bunch of other things. She was thoroughly convinced she could never have a healthy relationship with anyone. She got baptized last week, June 16th. She received healing for her anger towards her family. She received total healing for her abuse. She doesn't have problems with her kidneys anymore. Even more, she's completely trusted her life in God. She gave a talk yesterday in sacrament meeting (the same meeting where she was confirmed a member of the Church). She used 3 Nephi 9: 13 for the theme. She has seen healing in SOOO many ways. It's crazy to see. I know that God is a God of miracles and He lives to work them. He does his work, sometimes through us, but most of the time, in spite of us. :)

Cucumbers :)

There's this half-handicapped guy named A*. His right side only half works and his left side works fine because when he was a baby he got hit by a truck. He walks 7 kilometers every Sunday from a little ranch cluster called las minitas to church every single sunday. Crazy Right?! Talk about someone who loves the gospel. He says the most profoundest things too. He once said, "Everyone's crazy, the key is knowing how to use it" and then when I told him how wise he must be to say that, he said, "Noone's wise, but God." and then I decided not to go on. :) I LOVE that quote from him. He goes to churh and stays active first for his love for God, but second for his love for his mom, who passed away when he was 9 or so. he lives with his dad, but his dad doesn't take him to church.

There's this crazy phenomenon that occurs every single night now. We blast the AC in a house that's been baking in over an over hundred degree sun all day long, and the air actually gets pretty cold. I start feeling comfortable and then at 10:30, after an hour and a half of AC, I lay down my on my bed and am hot. The air surround me is cold, but the bed is blazing hot!! It's like coming out of the fire and into the frying pan! Weirdest thing ever, right? like a cooking egg.

Conversation between Elder Brown and his Mom in response to his last statement about being like a cooking egg...

Mom: Maybe you should take a cold shower when you get home for the day and then enjoy the cool air. Your body is probably just releasing all the hottness from the day. :) Crazy though...

Elder Brown: the cold water is really, really hot. :)

Mom: Hot because it is cold or hot because it is hot?

Elder Brown: hot because its hot. the grond is baked and so are the pipes.

Mom: That makes sense...let it run for a minute first before getting in... :)

Elder Brown: no. it doesnt get cold. we already tried.

**Side note: Elder Brown hasn't had a "hot shower since October 27, 2015. In fact, he has tried doing pushups and working out in the morning before a shower, just to get his body temperature up before getting in a freezing cold shower. Now that it is 99 degrees outside with about 30% humidity...he ONLY gets a hot shower!!! We sure love the experiences he is having on his mission. :)